Today marks another horrifying attack from ISIS on innocent people. At 8 a.m. in Brussels this morning, two massive explosions rocked Brussel’s airport, turning the bustling atmosphere of an ordinary airport into a chaotic warzone. The attack, which involved, at least, two suicide bombers, killed at least 11 people and injured 81. Still reeling from the tragedy of the airport explosion, citizens and travelers were further attacked by a second explosion from the metro station nearby. This second explosion killed another 20 people. According to witnesses, the airport explosion was followed by gunfire and the chant “Allahu Akhbar” (an Islamic phrase meaning “God is greater”) echoed in the chaos.
Zach Mouzoun, a witness at the scene, describes the scene after the second explosion.
"It was atrocious. The ceilings collapsed," he said. "There was blood everywhere, injured people, bags everywhere."
"We were walking in the debris. It was a war scene," he said.
Broken pipes from the second explosion rained down on the victims, mixing blood with water, furthering the hysteria.
Only moments later, at the Metro station, witness Ian McCafferty says that he heard a muffled explosion, but assumed it was part of the undergoing construction at the station. “There was a large military presence and mass confusion,” he said. “People started to run. Some people were crying. The two stations are only a stone’s throw apart. We were the last train through the station before the blast.”
Altogether, 31 people were killed and over 180 people, including US citizens and families, are injured.
ISIS stepped forward to officially take responsibility for the attacks with the following quote: ““Islamic State fighters carried out a series of bombings with explosive belts and devices on Tuesday, targeting an airport and a central metro station in the center of the Belgian capital Brussels, a country participating in the international coalition against the Islamic State.”
The statement went on to say: “Islamic State fighters opened fire inside Zaventem Airport, before several of them detonated their explosive belts, as a martyrdom bomber detonated his explosive belt in the Maalbeek [sic] Metro station. The attacks resulted in more than 230 dead and wounded."
Following this sickeningly boastful confession, Belgian authorities carried out raids throughout the city. In one home in a neighborhood in Brussels, they discovered explosive devices, other chemical products, and an ISIS flag. This photo of three suspects was released by Belgian authorities.
Are the attacks on Brussels connected to the attack in Paris? Just four days ago, Salah Abdeslam, the final suspect in the November Paris attack, was arrested. Prior to his arrest, he lived in the neighborhood in Brussels where the explosives were found for three weeks.
Less than an hour after the attacks, my social media began to fill with pictures of the Belgian flag as friends, celebrities, and prominent Christian leaders expressed support to the people of Belgium. The colors of the country’s flag paint Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter with a message of hope in this horrifying time of grief and terror for the people involved in the attacks. While no number of these pictures can bring peace and healing to the country, the heartfelt prayers and the unifying of nations represented are spreading light in a time of darkness.
Obama began his press conference this morning in Cuba with words of support to Belgium. "This is another reminder that the world must unite,” Obama said. “We must be together."
“We will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally Belgium," he continued. "We stand in solidarity with them in condemning these outrageous attacks."
As Americans, we must be informed on these attacks. We must realize the importance of uniting with nations affected by terrorist attacks, and offering immediate aid in their time of need. ISIS is a force that has no intention of slowing down until they have wreaked havoc on every nation opposing radical Islam.
In addition to supporting Belgium and Europe throughout these attacks, we must also prepare and further secure our nation. As America is distracted and weakened by our disagreements over this election, the rest of the world takes notice. We must not be so naïve as to think that America is not a target. The reality of the severity of ISIS is only just sinking in. The world our children and grandchildren grow up in will be unrecognizable if we do not defend this nation against foreign attacks.
